West Virginia’s State Board of Education now has concrete data showing our public schools are failing our kids in more ways than just academics. Last week, the group got a look at a detailed report that confirms our policies and procedures for disciplining students are lopsided and detrimental.

According to the report, 19% of all students during the 2022 school year were referred for a disciplinary incident. Once they were referred for discipline, 56% of those students were suspended. Though Black students made up 4% of the student population in 2022, they made up 31% of those referred for discipline. The percentage of referred Black students who were then suspended was 64%.

Hispanic or Latino and multi-racial students also were referred and then suspended at higher percentages than white students. Taking away the lens of race/ethnicity, economically disadvantaged students and those in foster care were more likely to be referred for discipline and suspended.

“We’ve got the punishment-side down pat, but that’s the only thing we have down pat, and who has suffered because of that? Our children,” said state Board of Education President Paul Hardesty.

After hearing all the numbers, Hardesty said, “We have a problem of epic proportions. It’s no wonder we’re in the position we are on proficiency … We’re failing our kids. This has to be a complete overhaul. We’ve got to do something different.”

He is right. But what do we do?

“Our schools must be safe and must be conducive to learning, but we also have to understand that we can have an impact on how students behave and the continued behaviors that maybe we see,” said Drew McClanahan, director of Leadership Development and Support for the Department of Education.

McClanahan says the plan is to focus on in-person and virtual trainings with teachers and administrators with an emphasis on being less heavy-handed, working with local communities, looking at social-emotional supports, classroom management, and changing school culture.

That is a lot for one summer, but teachers and administrators must approach the training with an open mind. Yes, the burden for this change and improvement, too, is on them. Perhaps state officials can figure out a way to rope parents and community groups into the conversation, but the heavy lifting will be done in the classroom.

“Addressing school discipline is a challenge that calls for an all-hands-on-deck response,” said Rev. Matthew Watts.

He’s right. But teachers are already on the deck. County and state officials must arm them with the tools they need to make this adjustment AND be ready to support them when the turnaround proves more difficult and complex than we’d hope.